Freetown, September 10, 2025 – In a ceremony led by Allogamy Bakarr Sankoh, Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hugo Chávez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship, and Solidarity, the 18th Anniversary of the organization's creation was commemorated.
In his speech, the Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors emphasized that the idea of creating this organization arose as an expression of love and honor for a brilliant man who dedicated most of his life to fighting for the poor and oppressed of the world. The name was coined in honor of Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, one of the most influential and iconic leaders in the history of Venezuela.
Likewise, he emphasized that the Cuban Revolution's commitment to Africa continues to this day. The Caribbean island contributes to the training of African doctors and continues to send its doctors to the African continent. These actions were initiated by the wise and visionary leadership of Fidel Castro Ruz. During the Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics, Cuba led international aid initiatives while other world powers pretended to be preoccupied with other parts of the world that urgently needed attention. Similarly, during the August 2017 landslide in Sierra Leone, Cuba intervened swiftly to prevent the outbreak of disease and other calamities. Fidel Castro Ruz always demonstrated that Africa has a place in the world.
Bakarr Sankoh, on behalf of the members of the Foundation, condemned the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba and its inclusion on the unilateral list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism. He also expressed his strong rejection of the deployment of US military forces in the Caribbean Sea. This dangerous act represents a serious threat to Venezuela's sovereignty and self-determination.
The Cuban Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Norma Sánchez Aguila, attended as guest of honor the event commemorating the 18th anniversary of the Hugo Chávez Foundation, founded on September 8, 2007, in Bamako, Republic of Mali, by a group of Africans of various nationalities from across the continent.
Cuban Embassy in Sierra Leone